New routes will be in place from Monday, July 25 and a free shuttle bus will operate from Tilehurst Triangle every half an hour (from 10.05am to 6.05pm) until Saturday, July 23 to fill in the gap ahead of the company’s annual summer timetable change.

From July 25 the sky blue 15 service will extend from Tilehurst Triangle down Langley Hill to Sainsbury’s and on to IKEA in Pincents Lane.

This will link West Reading's Oxford Road, Dee Park and the Meadway - as well as Tilehurst itself - with the new store.

It will also provide a service every 30 minutes beyond Dee Road and Tay Road to Tilehurst and IKEA at weekends.

Reading Buses' chief executive Martijn Gilbert said: "We hope this will encourage both workers and shoppers to visit and travel sustainably to the new store – something we know that IKEA themselves are very keen to promote."

Route changes

Sky blue 15 buses will now run in both directions along St Michael’s Road and will no longer use Mayfair.

Royal blue 33 will replace this service by additionally serving Mayfair.

The yellow 26 will also be extended from Sainsbury’s to IKEA.

The royal blue 33a will have a minor route change to replace sky blue 15 on Mayfair due to the changes. Buses will run via Mayfair to the Triangle before going back into town along the normal route. There is no timetable change to this route.